WONDERFUL SHORT WAVES

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 9, 16 September 1927, Page 13

WONDERFUL SHORT WAVES

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY’S ACTIVITIES New York, July 12. Reports are being received from all parts of the world in counection with short wave tests conducted by the re search engineers of the Genera] Electric Company from May 28 to June 4. Radio auditors were asked to observe reception of special transmissions over two twenty-four-hour periods, a week apatt. The experimenters were not interested in local observations, because short waves getie-ally skip the first 400: or 500 miles; but beyond that distance up to 12,500 miles radio listeners received the programmes and noted the volume, fading, distortion, intelligibility, static, carrier intensity, quality and modulation, according to the mail now -being received from distant points, ineluding Australia and New Zealand. A Careful Analysis. Through a careful analysis of the mail the engineers hope to learn what wave length what hour, aud what power are best to reach a definite objective during a particular season. The operators of the short wave installations explain that it is possible that the 82.77 ‘meter wave is superior for transmission when .there is darkness between transmitter and receiver; whereas it is also possible that the 22-meter channel] is best when it is daylight at either transinitter or receiver. , "wW,-A. Waters, engineer and man-| ager ofthe Mavawatu-Oroua Electric Power Board, of Palmerston North, New Zealand, gave a most exhaustive log and graph showing the comparative strength of the 22 and 32.77 meter transmissions,’ said a General Electric Company representative. ‘The concluding line in-the log for June 5 was: ‘Went to bed, unable to keep awake any longer.’ " |

Twenty-four Hours’ ' Test. An exhaustive report was also received from G. S. Datghtin, of Stratton | and Co., Ltd., radio manufacturers, of. Birmingham, England, Mr. Daughitin reported that one or the other station was audible over the entire twenty-four hours during which the tests were conducted. | During the daylight hours Mr. | Daughtin recorded better reception from ‘ 2s AD, while 2XAF operated on 382.77 metres, was received best during the hours of total darkness. When it was dark at the receiving end and light at the transmitting end, 2XAD was received best. When it was light at the receiving end and dark at the trans‘mitting end the 2XAIF signals were most reliable.